


Just past the offing

by Kay_Right



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:40:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24248203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kay_Right/pseuds/Kay_Right
Summary: It's been almost a year since John B and Sarah disappeared into the ocean. Just as the remaining Pogues begin to move on, they get a message from their lost friends and jump into action to help them retrieve the gold.If you're like me and already impatient for S2 here's something to keep you busy. Kiara/JJ is the main ship in this story, but it follows the whole group. Try to ignore the cheesy summary.
Relationships: JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks), JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks), Sarah Cameron/John B. Routledge
Comments: 13
Kudos: 201





	1. Chapter 1

“JJ Maybank,” the principal announced loudly into a microphone.

At the sound of his name, JJ stood from his chair. Not a moment later, he heard his friends. He was surrounded by people, but he’d hardly consider anyone within arms reach an ally. His eyes darted around and then finally landed on Kie and Pope’s faces. They were the only two people there to see him, and both of them were smiling brightly. Their joy anchored him slightly, just as it had for the past year. JJ looked across the stage towards the principal and allowed himself a small smile.

“Didn't think I’d make it, huh?” JJ said to the principal as he grabbed his diploma from the older man's outstretched hand. JJ winked and the man just frowned as JJ walked away.

JJ was meant to follow the line of kids to take his seat in the folded chairs on the football field, but instead, he walked towards the bleachers. He could see Pope and Kie looking confused and talking to one another, but JJ didn't let that slow him down. Finally, when he was halfway there they moved towards him. JJ unzipped his gown and reached into his pocket to pull out his vape. He took a drag and let the smoke out with a content sigh. It wasn’t as comforting as a joint but it did the trick. When JJ finally reached the bleachers, he pocketed the vape and looked up at his two friends standing on the bleachers about four feet off the ground. He gave them a goofy smile but was met only with a concerned look from Kie and an admonishing one from Pope. 

“What are you doing? The ceremony is still going on,” Pope said slightly frazzled but, ultimately, unsurprised by JJ’s rebellious behavior.

“Would you mind holding this?” JJ said thrusting his hat and diploma up towards his friends.

When Pope didn’t respond, Kie bent down to grab the items. With his hands empty, JJ pushed his palms into the bleachers and pulled himself up and under the railing. He stood and dusted the invisible dust off his tee-shirt. He held his hand out for his stuff, but Kie didn’t give it to him. She was looking him up and down.

“You didn’t want to wear something else on your graduation day?” Kie asked.

JJ looked down at his tee-shirt and shorts combo paired with his regular boats. That morning he had specifically picked a shirt that didn't have any holes or arms ripped off. At the time he had thought that was good enough, but after arriving at the school he quickly realized everyone else was dressed for a much more formal occasion. He probably should have talked to Kie about it before the ceremony. 

JJ just shrugged, “You couldn’t see it under the gown anyway.”

“Which you still should be wearing. Down there,” Pope said pointing to the stage where the principal was still raddling off names. A few of the students were looking up at them. Pope gave them a small wave.

“I did my part,” JJ said. “They called my name and I picked this up.”

Pope was unconvinced, but Kie knew they weren’t going to get anywhere with the discussion. It’s not like JJ could walk back across the field. Plus, she was secretly happy not to have to sit in the sun for another hour for a bunch of kids she didn’t care about.

“And we are so proud of you,” Kie said throwing her arms around JJ in a tight hug. She felt his arms envelope her waist and lift her slightly off the ground, which caused her to laugh. Pope rolled his eyes and then joined the hug thumping JJ on the back and putting his other arm around Kie.

“Do you mind? Some of us are trying to watch our children,” a woman’s voice said from behind them pulling the teens' attention away from their embrace.

“Yeah, and some of us are graduating today and trying to have a good time,” JJ said pointing down at his gown.

The woman rolled her eyes, but before JJ could say anything Pope jumped in and apologized. He indicated to the steps and started walking towards them. JJ and Kie followed, but just before they took the first step down. Kie placed her hand on JJ’s arm stopping his movement.

“I really am proud of you,” Kie said. "And John B would be, too."

“It’s just a piece of paper,” JJ said with a blush.

“No, it’s not. It’s an accomplishment and you worked hard for it. Especially, after Pope left for the Kook’s Academy,” Kie said. “I know you thought you didn’t have a reason to stay, but I’m really glad you did.”

JJ just shrugged. He knew she was right. His parents never finished high school and, even if his father too high to give a shit, it didn't make it any less important. JJ already had a job lined up down at the harbor, but he knew that people were a lot more likely to higher him if he wasn't a high school drop out.

“Accept that there are people who love you and we are here and proud,” Kie said softly.

JJ felt his cheeks turn pink, but he refused to look up to see if Kie 

noticed. It wasn’t until he felt her move closer that his eyes shot up. She placed his diploma in his hand and carefully put his cap back on his head. But instead of letting her hand fall, she let it move into his hair and trail down his cheek. She took another step closer and placed a kiss on his cheek. The kiss was soft and slow, but even when her lips left his cheek she didn’t pull away. Her hand remained on his face and moved down so that her thumb was brushing against his bottom lip. JJ was trying to focus on her eyes but he couldn’t help that his own eyes had darted down to look at her lips. They were still so close. It’d be so easy to reach out and kiss her. He wanted to so badly, but he wouldn’t. He couldn’t do that to her. She had always been so clear that she wasn’t interested in Pogue on Pogue macking, and if she wasn’t willing to break that rule for Pope, who had a future and way off the island, then there was no way she’d break it for him. So he wasn’t going to push the intimate moment any further, but he also wasn’t willing to break the connection. He might have before John B's disappearance or he would have at least played it up and turned it into a joke, but now he knew that something this special was fleeting and too precious to just let go.

It was Kie who finally moved her hand and stepped back. She took the steps down the stairs two at a time not looking back at JJ to see if he was following, but based on his footsteps she knew he was. Kie had kissed JJ on the cheek plenty of times before but never like this. She had never held on to him and stayed so near that she could feel his breath. She saw his eyes on her lips and she understood that instinct so deeply that all she wanted to do was close the space between them and kiss him. She had wanted to kiss them long before searches for lost treasure and being shot at with guns. She might have too if her other two best friends hadn’t either kissed her or confessed their feelings to her, but now she couldn’t. She wouldn’t do that to JJ and Pope. They only had the three of them left. She had settled her issues with Pope almost a year ago, just after John B and Sarah had sailed into the storm, but they were still a fragile group. If it didn’t work out between her and JJ, they’d all break apart. She wasn't willing to risk that. Kie was normally fine keeping her emotions in check, but today she had just been so happy for JJ and she had let herself get too close.

“Come on guys,” Pope said leaning against Kie’s car. “If we leave now, we have time to get some food first.”

“Time before what?” JJ asked. Normally, he would've had to fight Pope off for the front seat, but today Pope went to the back without a word.

“Your graduation party,” Kie said with a smile.

JJ turned his nose up. JJ had never been one for parties. Sure, he liked hooking up with Tourons at the Boneyard and he was always the hit of the party because he came fully supplied with weed and usually brought the booze, but he never liked talking to people all that much. He was friendly with the other Pogues but he only ever liked his close group. After John B disappeared, the parties were never really the same.

“Don’t worry,” Kie said looking over at JJ. “It’s just the three of us on the _Pogue_ with a twelve-pack watching the sun go down.”

“That sounds perfect,” JJ said looking down at his diploma with his name scrawled across it.

* * *

John B walked by the Cameron estate. He wasn’t crouching behind bushes or hiding from anyone. He was simply walking casually by the large piece of beachfront property, though from the main road he was too far to even see the beach. If he had thought the Cameron's house on the Outer Banks was big, their Bahama house was practically it’s own small town.

John made a point of walking by it twice a day. It was conveniently on his way to his job down at the pier. He had been keeping an eye on the place for almost a year now and still he hadn’t seen any movement in the house. The Cameron’s hadn’t been to the island. There wasn't even staff coming and going. The same had been true that morning, so John B didn't expect to see anything when he looked over at the gates. But he stopped in his tracks when he saw an old beat up pick up truck sitting just on the other side of the gate.

John B knew he should play it safe, but he also doubted Ward or any of the other Camerons would be seen in anything so blue-collar. John be didn't see any people, so he took a seat on the side of the road and prepared to wait. He knew where the security cameras were and he was careful to make sure he was in their blindspot. Finally, after about an hour of waiting, a person came out of the estate. It was an older woman who appeared to be local. She started up the truck and headed for the gate.

John B stood and held out his thumb. He pulled his hat down over his head making sure the majority of his face was covered. He thought even while standing he was still in the blind spot, but he wasn’t entirely positive. He briefly debated going further down the road but he couldn't risk the woman turning the other direction on the street. 

The woman exited the gate and immediately pulled up to him. He silently thanked island hospitality as she rolled down her window.

“Where are you going?” The woman asked.

John B took a guess, “Into town.”

“A shame,” the woman said. “I’m headed the other way.”

“How far down this road? There’s a restaurant not too far down that my friend works at and he can give me a lift into town,” John B said. In reality, the restaurant was just near his house.

“I know the place,” the woman said nodding. “Hop in, I’ll give you a lift. Better to wait there than out in the sun.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” John B said as he opened the car door.

The woman scoffed but didn’t say anything. They sat in a comfortable silence which John B knew he had to break because the drive was not that far and he needed answers.

“You live in that house back there?” John B asked.

The woman scoffed again, “Do I look like I live in that huge house? No, I take care of the hiring of staff and the like. The family that owns it is coming for a visit soon and wants me to make sure everything's in order. I’ll be needing to get a cleaning crew in there.”

“Big job,” John B said offhandedly more focused on the new information than the conversation at hand. The Cameron’s where coming for the first since they brought the gold. It was the start of summer and a strange time for them to use their winter house. It could only mean one thing – Ward was making moves on the gold.

“You’re telling me,” the woman continued speaking. “And my best crew has two girls out having babies. The family comes in three weeks and I don’t know what I’m going to do if they can’t meet that schedule.”

“Three weeks?” John B asked. “All of them?”

“How am I supposed to know if the whole family is coming? I need to clean the whole house regardless if it’s one of them or all of them.”

John B nodded and then he thought of an idea, “If you’re looking for more maintenance staff my girlfriend and I are always looking for some extra work.”

The woman scoffed again, which John B was realizing must be her go-to response, “You, boy, can’t even keep yourself clean. I wouldn’t hire you to clean a house.”

John B looked down at himself and realized she was probably right, “What about my girlfriend? She’s clean I promise.”

The woman was silent for a moment, “Have her give me a call. I’ll send her along to the woman who runs the cleaning crew I use, but I won't’ promise anything else.”

“That’s all I can ask," John B said with a smile.

They had been locked out of the house for months and finally, they had a shot at getting in. But with the Cameron’s coming in just three weeks they needed to work fast. And in all that time they hadn’t been able to come up with a plan to get the gold out of the estate. Sarah had a vague idea of where it was, but she assumed it was behind locks that she didn’t know the password to. Even if she could get on the cleaning crew, she didn't have a chance of getting the gold out on her own. John B needed to think and he needed to do it quickly. Most of all he needed more minds and he desperately wished his Pogue crew were there to talk it through with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like it! I'm writing as I go with a vague idea of the ending, so if you have suggestions I'd love to hear them. Also, please review because it keeps me motivated.


	2. Chapter 2

Kie looked over at JJ and Pope. Both boys were laying on the bow of the  _ Pogue _ . Pope had his eyes closed and JJ had his hat covering his face, but he was awake and enjoying the light breeze rolling across the marsh. The sun had set long ago and the last remaining light from dusk was quickly fading. JJ and Kie both knew they needed to take the  _ Pogue  _ in, but they could bring themselves to say it.

Finally, JJ sat up quickly causing Kie to jump. JJ looked over at her, laughing at her startled face.

“Scare you?” JJ asked in an almost whisper conscience of Pope sleeping soundly next to him.

“I thought you were asleep,” Kie said with her hand over her heart.

“Were you watching me sleep?” JJ said wiggling his eyebrows and standing up. He went to his bag and pulled out his stash before walking towards Kie, who was sitting at the wheel. “Be honest, I won’t tell anyone.”

Kie just rolled her eyes and scooted over for JJ to join her on the tiny bench. JJ started rolling a joint as they sat in comfortable silence. After finishing, he handed it over to her to Kie and pulled out a lighter. He lit it and held it out for her to take the first drag. She did so with a smile before hading it over and starting a pattern of trading off.

A breeze came in over the swamp and Kie cuddled closer to JJ. Noticing her goosebumps, he threw his arm over her shoulders and allowed her to move closer.

“Today was a good day,” JJ said softly.

“Yeah, it was,” Kie said. “Days like this, they make me miss him.”

“I know,” JJ said. “Me too.”

“Do you really think he’s dead?” Kie asked.

“Everyone says he is,” JJ said with a small shrug. He honestly didn’t know the answer to her question. He knew he should accept that John B was dead, but a little part of him didn’t believe it. They never found a body for John B or Sarah. JJ was beginning to think until at least one of their bodies was found he would never really believe John B was dead.

“I think he’s out there somewhere,” Kie said. Her eyes were closed and she had a soft smile on her face. “He’s out there somewhere with Sara. They both made it out of the storm and just decided to run away together.”

JJ didn’t say anything but he smiled along with her. It was the kind of optimistic thought that only Kie could come up with. They both let the silence creep back in until they finished the joint.

“We should probably go in soon,” JJ said. Though, his actions spoke differently. He wasn't any making moves to stand and, instead, he had let his hand fall to her arm pressing small circles on to her shoulder with his thumb.

“I don’t want to,” Kie said. The weed was making her relaxed, and she just wanted to soak up the moment. She knew they didn’t have too like this many left. Soon, she and Pope would leave for college, and JJ would stay in the Outer Banks. She wondered if when they were gone he’d take the  _ Pogue  _ out on his own. The thought made her incredibly sad, but she wasn't sure if it was for him being alone or for what she would be missing. 

JJ’s mind was drifting along a similar train of thought. He couldn’t think of anything better than sitting on the boat with his best friends and with Kie cuddled up next to him. He knew those days were coming to an end. This summer would be it for them. Pope and Kie would leave and he’d be here working at the harbor. He never used to mind that thought. He loved the Outer Banks. Even if he was a deckhand on some Kook's boat for the rest of his life, he didn't mind. But when he had thought about it, he had always imagined John B with him. They were best friends and had plans to stay that way. Plans of growing old on the Cut together. Now, he would be all by himself. JJ had a feeling Pope would never come back. At least not for anything longer than a vacation. Kie was different. Even if she did come back, who knew how different she’d be after being exposed to so much of the world. Meanwhile, he’d stay frozen in time on the  _ Pogue  _ for the rest of his life.

“Kie,” JJ said. He wasn’t entirely sure where he was going by saying her name, but instinct had led him to do it anyway. All he knew, was that he was suddenly very overwhelmed by the thought of summer ending and, more specifically, her leaving. He wouldn’t have these moments anymore. This would be it. The closest he ever got to her.

“Yeah,” Kie said looking up. When she saw the serious expression on his face, which was so rare for JJ, she put her hand on his chest and pushed herself slightly away from him to get a better look at his face.

JJ didn’t think about his next move. Instead, he just leaned down and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, little more than a peck. But, still, it was enough to fill him with instant shame. He wanted to kiss her, but he felt he shouldn’t put that on her. She didn’t need another best friend trying to get with her.

Kie’s hand moved up to touch her lips. She moved slowly trying to process what had just happened. JJ had kissed her. It was nothing like she had imagined, and she had imagined it plenty. It had been soft and quick. Tender in a way that threw her off. This wasn't some moment of passion.

JJ pulled his arm away from her shoulders and opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could Kie tightened her grip on his chest and moved her hand up to her shoulder. Kie turned her body to face JJ. She bit her lip and her eyes were glued to his lips. She wasn’t thinking as she leaned closer. At that moment, all she knew was that she liked it when he kissed her and she wanted to do it again regardless of the consequences. Just a moment before their lips touched, Kie looked up into JJ’s eyes. He was looking down at her with a look of shock, but he didn’t make any effort to move away. Kie closed her eyes and kissed him.

She started the kiss just as tender as he had done. After a few moments, he began to respond and she pushed her tongue against his closed lips until he opened his mouth to her. JJ put his hand on her waist which pushed up her tank top up slightly. Kie moved her hand from his shoulder to his hair and let her other hand land on his chest.

JJ’s mind was reeling.  _ She  _ had kissed  _ him. _ If he ever worked up the nerve, or blood alcohol level, to make a move, he never imagined that she would respond. But here she was kissing him. She had never done that with John B or, even, Pope really. That kiss had been more about guilt, at least that's what Kie had said later. Pope. He had completely forgotten about Pope.

“Shit,” JJ said pulling away. He placed his hand on her cheek and let his forehead rest against hers. “Pope is right over there.”

“Oh, oh right, I forgot,” Kie said. Her eyes darted over to Pope noticing he was still asleep just a few feet away from them.

“We should wake him up,” JJ said.

“What?” Kie asked shaking her head slightly.

“We should wake him up,” JJ said again. “So we can go in.”

“Right,” Kie said. “Because it’s getting late.”

“Yeah,” JJ said.

“JJ,” Kie said. “If it wasn’t getting late and it was just us…would you…”

JJ looked down, “I’d want to spend all day out here with you.”

JJ’s eyes shot up to see Kie biting her lip again. He kissed her again before pulling away quickly. He walked in Pope’s direction picking up a dirty rag as he went.

“Dude,” he yelled at Pope. “Wake up, man."

When Pope didn’t stir, JJ snapped the rag on Pope’s exposed arm. Pope quickly shot up and Kie broke out into a laugh. He looked around confused before focusing on JJ who was now laughing as well.

“What the hell, man?” Pope said standing up and stretching his back. “I was asleep.”

“Sorry, sleeping beauty,” JJ said. He went back to sit by Kie and started up the  _ Pogue.  _ “But it’s almost midnight.”

“You’re mixing up your Disney princesses,” Kie said.

“Do I get points for trying?” JJ asked Kie giving her a lopsided grin.

“Of course,” Kie responded patting his knee.

“Just to be clear it’s not actually midnight, right?” Pope said. “My dad would kill me.”

JJ and Kie broke out into laughter. After assuring Pope that he’d be home long before his newly enforced curfew, the group launched into their usual banter for the short ride to where the water met grass in front of the John B's old house. The small building had been taken over by the bank long ago, but it still didn’t have a buyer.

As JJ jumped out of the boat, his eyes drifted to the empty house. He hadn’t been inside in months. It took about three months before someone came to take away John B's remaining stuff and lock up the doors. JJ could break in if he wanted, but he didn’t want to see the place empty.

Kie and Pope started heading towards Kie’s car. This time Pope took the front seat. Pope was already in the car and Kie was opening her door when they finally noticed that JJ wasn’t following.

“What are you doing?” Pope asked.

“Go ahead without me,” JJ said. “I’m just going to hang out for a bit.”

“I’m not going to leave you here. How’ll you get home?” Kie asked.

“Thought I might just hang out for a while,” JJ said. “I don’t really want to go home tonight.”

“So what’s your plan? To sleep on the  _ Pogue _ ?” Kie asked with a forced laugh.

JJ didn’t answer, instead, choosing to look down at his feet as he kicked lightly at the dirt. JJ had slept on the  _ Pogue  _ more than a few times recently. He stayed clear of his father for a long time after he stole the  _ Phantom.  _ He bounced between Kie and Pope’s until he finally went home one day. His father had been high and tried to come after him, but JJ only had to ball up his fists and take a step in his father’s direction before his father was backing down. Neither of them even mentioned the  _ Phantom  _ after that _. _ It was fine for a little while, but as JJ got closer to graduating his father had started getting more violent. Finally, one day they ended up beating each other to a bloody pulp with JJ kneeling over his father and with his hands on his dad’s throat. After making sure his father had a pulse, JJ took off and rarely went back. He slept at Kie and Pope’s a few times but didn’t tell them the extent of the problem. He had been saving up for a while and had plans to rent a place soon. But in the meantime, the  _ Pogue  _ had been a temporary sleeping spot.

“Absolutely not,” Pope said.

“No, get in the car,” Kie said at the same time.

“I’ll be fine,” JJ said.

“Just come stay at my place you know my parents don’t mind,” Pope said.

They all knew that Pope’s parents actually did mind. They could really only afford the expenses of their own family. JJ didn’t require much, but it was a tiny house and he was another mouth to feed. Kie’s parents were in a better position to help, and they did when Kie begged, but JJ was very aware they didn’t like him around their daughter or in their house.

“Or mine,” Kie said. “You have two options with a roof over your head. You’re not staying here.”

JJ knew than better to argue with Kie when her mind was made up. Instead, he mumbled his agreement and climbed into the backseat of the car. He looked annoyed but was also silently grateful for his two friends.

* * *

John B was sitting at his tiny kitchen table. He had blueprints and pictures of the Cameron estate strewn across the flat surface. He had been looking at the same bit of information for a year and still couldn’t figure out how to get the gold out of the Cameron's house, let alone the Bahamas. He needed Pope’s mind and JJ’s daring and Kie’s confidence.

John B let out a groan and pushed the papers to the ground. He couldn’t figure it out and he was running out of time. Ward would be on the island in three weeks and who knows what would happen to the gold then.

John B slammed his fist on the table just as Sarah opened the front door to their little apartment.

“Wow,” Sarah said as she entered. She wasn't entirely surprised to see the house a mess. John B had an obsession with getting the gold and he didn't make room for much else, including her. She tried to be understanding, but after a year it was getting harder and harder to be ignored for something that was beginning to seem impossible. Still, today John B seemed even more out of sorts, which led Sarah's concern. “What’s going on?”

John B let out a deep sigh, “Somethings changed. When I was walking by the house today, a woman was leaving. She said that your family was coming.”

“What? When?” Sarah asked taking a seat at the table ignoring the mess that John B had made.

“Three weeks,” John B said.

“Shit,” Sarah said in shock.

“Basically,” John B responded with a dry laugh. He took a seat back at the table across from Sarah.

“What are we going to do?” Sarah asked. “We’ve had a year and we still haven’t figured it out. That house is just too secure. We can’t get in, and even if we could, we don’t know how to get the gold out.”

“I might have figured out a way in,” John B said. “The woman I met is looking for a cleaning crew. She rejected me on the spot, but she said she’d give you a chance.”

“That’s great, John B!” Sarah said grabbing his hand.

“Yeah, but it’s not enough,” John B said. He let go of Sarah's hand to start picking up the discarded papers. Sarah tried not to cringe at the loss of contact and John B tried to ignore her reaction. “We’re only going to have one chance and we still don’t know for sure where the gold is held.”

“If I get in with the cleaning crew, I can look,” Sarah said.

“And then what? You can’t carry it out on your own and what if you don’t get a chance to get in again,” John B said. “I wish Pope was here or any of them. We’d be able to figure this out together.”

Sarah let out a deep sigh, which caused John B to instantly feel bad. He knew that sometimes she felt like he wished his friends were here instead of her. And, unfortunately, he did think that sometimes. He loved Sarah, but he missed his friends and he believed if they were in the Bahamas they would be able to get the gold out. Still, he didn't want Sarah to feel bad and he was glad she was with him. He knew how much she gave up for him. 

“What if we call them?” Sarah suggested tentatively. She knew bringing up this subject might start an argument, but it needed to be said.

“We can’t,” John B vehemently shook his head. “Their parents pay for their phones they’d know immediately if they got a call from the Bahamas and how would they explain that! And if anyone else found out, it’d put them all in danger.”

“They’d face that danger to know you’re alive,” Sarah argued. “And you said it yourself we need them here. Even if I find the gold, we need more people we can trust to get the gold out.”

“It’s too dangerous,” John B said again shaking his head and turning away from her slightly.

“They started this with you and they deserve to finish it,” Sarah said. “At the very least, they deserve the money.”

John B flinched just as Sarah knew he would. They had taken the one piece of gold that the group had managed to steal. They had needed the money to start fresh in the Bahamas, but John B had always felt bad for leaving his friends in the lurch, but he couldn’t exactly send them thousands of dollars without raising some red flags. 

“If we get the gold, I’ll figure out a way to send them their cut,” John B said.

“And what if we don’t get it?” Sarah yelled. “What if my father comes and just takes it again? And we’re going to have to sit here knowing that we didn’t try everything we could to get it! How would you feel telling JJ, Pope, and Kie that?”

“You don’t understand,” John B said through gritted teeth.

“No, I don’t understand,” Sarah said. “So explain it.”

“I can’t risk them,” John B said. “We almost died, Sarah. Getting out of the Outer Banks we almost  _ died, _ and even before we left we’re lucky to have survived all the gunfire and ridiculous stunts we pulled. If they come, it’ll be more of that, and I don’t think we’re all going to make it. I can’t have that on me. I already lost my dad. I can’t lose anyone else.”

Sarah was quiet for a moment, “I know you’re afraid of losing them. But, John B, they’ve already lost you. And that was our decision because we didn’t tell them. Will it be risky for them to come here? Yes, probably. But do I think they’d do it if it meant getting you back? One hundred percent. They’re your family, and they’d want to be here to help you.”

John B didn’t respond for a long time. So long that Sarah got up and cleaned the papers scattered on the floor. She then went to their room and took a shower scrubbing off the dirt and sweat from her shift at a tourist restaurant down the road. She went back to the kitchen and, still, John B sat quietly at the table. It wasn’t until she put a plate of food in front of him and sat down across from him that John B finally looked up at her.

“You’re right,” John B said. “I know you’re right. I’m just so scared of what will happen.”

“That’s okay,” Sarah said. “I’m scared too, but that’s why we need them.”

John B nodded, “So how can we reach them without tipping off Ward?”

Sarah gave him a coy smile, “You know, I actually have an idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm incapable of writing a good slow burn. I wanted to draw out the Kie and JJ relationship, and here I am in chapter 2 already letting it happen.


	3. Chapter 3

Kie woke up to the sun on her face. She stretched out on her bed and let herself smile.

She was so glad to be done with school, and for the first time in her life she felt as though she were actually done. At least, she was with her mandatory education. She didn’t just get a summer break, she had the rest of her life ahead of her. She didn’t have to spend the next three months dreading the first day of school with a bunch of Kooks.

Though, it wasn’t as if her alternative was much better. Kie was grateful for everything her parents did, but she didn’t want to go to college. But every time she brought up not going to the University of North Carolina in the fall, or even deferring for a year, her parents quickly shut down the idea. To them, it was the only path to a better future. She wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to do, but she knew it wasn’t sitting in a classroom reading about people who were out in the world making change. She wanted to travel the world and see all of its beauty before it disappeared. As far as she was concerned, UNC wasn’t going to give her any of that.

Kie looked over at the clock on her nightstand. It was just past ten, and with nowhere to go, she picked up her phone and rolled back over to lie on her back. She started scrolling through her phone by reading through her recent messages.

_Received: 1:22 AM_

_Pope: My parents are good with JJ staying for a few nights. He won’t say, but I don’t think he hasn't been home in a while. He had a bunch of clothes in his backpack._

Kie sighed loudly and closed her eyes for a moment. She felt like crying but pushed the tears back knowing JJ would hate to see her cry over his home life. She wasn’t surprised by Pope’s revelation, but it did break her heart. She was mad at JJ for not telling them and she was mad at herself for not realizing it. How long had he been sleeping on the _Pogue_? She'd probably never know because he would never tell her. Kie thought for a minute and then replied to Pope. 

_Sent: 10:08 AM_

_Kie: I’ll talk to my parents today. Maybe we can trade-off again???_

Kie wasn't expecting a reply. She doubted the two boys were even up yet, but she felt better to at least have something to contribute. 

Kie dreaded telling her parents about JJ. She knew they’d eventually cave and let him stay, but it would be a fight. And within that fight, she would have to resort to guilt-tripping them. Plus, if they were to ever agree, they could never know that she and JJ kissed. They would never let JJ and Kie live together in the same house if they thought anything other than a platonic friendship was happening. If they knew about the kiss, they'd surely ask her about her relationship with JJ and the reality was she had no clue where they stood. 

Kie and JJ didn't get a chance to talk after they kissed. After they left the chateau, Kie had dropped JJ off with Pope and then drove home alone. She supposed she could've texted him, but it felt like a conversation they needed to have in person. Plus, JJ was never one to text anyway. He always said he had a better appeal in person. Kie begrudgingly agreed, even if she would never tell him that. He was annoyingly charming with his easy smiles and relaxed posture. He put her at ease, and she had a feeling she was going to want that comfort for the difficult conversation that the kiss was leading them towards.

Even though Kie didn’t really want to talk about it with JJ, She didn’t regret the kiss at all. She knew that she should. She was being inconsiderate of Pope, their group dynamic, and even JJ. After the unfortunate kiss with Pope, they had cleared the air. She assumed he had gotten over her, but she wasn't positive. Even if he was over her, JJ and Kie being together would probably be awkward for him because he'd be a third wheel. Plus, she was supposed to be leaving in a few months and this just complicated an already shitty situation. 

Still, even with all that, Kie didn’t regret the kiss. She had wanted to do it for so long and, if she hadn't, a part of he knew she’d regret _not_ kissing JJ for the rest of her life. No matter what happened, she was grateful to JJ for kissing her first and she was proud of herself for choosing her desire over her fear of the hypothetical fallouts. Kie touched her lips and let herself smile. She wanted to do it again and again and again.

Kie giggled and then quickly rolled her eyes at her own girlish behavior. After contemplating for a moment, she pulled up her phone again. She thought again about texting JJ, but after running threw a few text options she quickly discarded the idea. If she texted him about the kiss, she'd feel weird not mentioning his lack of proper sleeping arrangements. And if she texted him about that, then she'd feel weird not mentioning the kiss. There was no way to avoid two serious and necessary conversations. Instead, feeling only slightly ridiculous, Kie pulled up Instagram and navigated to JJ’s profile.

Kie knew his profile well. Partially, because he rarely posted. But also because, if he did post, she was usually sitting beside him and pushing him to do it, which was why she was featured in half of his pictures. Still, as she scrolled through she smiled brightly and allowed herself to get lost in fantasies of an actual relationship with JJ.

Kie had gone back almost two years on JJ’s profile when she received a follow request. She didn’t recognize the profile, which was just some numbers and emojis. The profile picture was a picture of a beach landscape. She quickly rejected the request and went back to cyber stocking JJ. A few minutes later the request popped up again. Kie quickly rejected it again. Not even a minute later it was back, Kie rejected it one more time. When it came back again, Kie finally shut down the app and put her phone down. After everything with John B, she had had to put all her social media on private. Everyone on the island, and more than a few people on the mainland, were suddenly obsessed with their small group, who were seen as possible accomplices to a murderer. Everyone conveniently left out that it was only ever an alleged murder, and if anyone was going to be prosecuted, it would've been Ward Cameron. Even though there wasn't enough evidence to charge him, most of the police force finally came to that conclusion, but the people of the Outer Banks had not. All of this meant that Kie wasn’t surprised that she was still getting people looking into her Instagram page. There had been papers all around the state writing about their little town. Instead of being bothered by another internet troll, she decided to take it as a sign to put her phone down, get up, and start her day.

* * *

Pope was awake long before JJ, which was surprising to no one in the Heyward household. JJ was, for the most part, a courteous if not timid houseguest, but he certainly didn’t make any effort to change his routine. For JJ, that meant rolling out of bed, usually around noon, and taking off to spend the day either working, surfing, or fishing.

Pope was the opposite. As an early riser himself, JJ’s presence never really interrupted Pope's own routine. Normally, he woke up to study and prep for his classes, but he and Kie had graduated a week earlier, which meant he had no school work to do. Instead, he helped his mom clean, did some work for his dad, and researched Duke, where he'd be attending in the fall. He was counting the days until he left. It was still too early to register, but he had been spending the past few days researching classes. He knew for sure he was taking a Biology class for his mortuary science degree, so he looked up different professors and articles they had published. For the other classes, he was sticking to reading through syllabi and student reviews. He was already creating a reading list based on the classes, so in case he couldn’t fit them all into his schedule, he’d still learn some of the content.

Pope was overwhelmed by the idea of Duke, but not in a bad way. He was overwhelmed because it felt like the world was at his fingertips. He was almost exactly where he wanted to be. It felt as though he couldn’t sit still because he was so excited about what comes next.

He felt guilty for it. He knew that Kie was upset about leaving and he had a feeling JJ was sad to see them going. He would miss the Outer Banks. He’d miss his family and the familiarity. He’d miss his friends and just hanging out. He loved all of those things. He would do almost anything for his friends, but he risked his future once. If he stayed for them, he wouldn’t get another chance. He would call and visit. They’d stay in touch, and after last year the three of them were bonded for life. He wasn't abandoning his friends, their relationship was just going to change, adapt, and grow. Pope had gone through this rationale a hundred times, but still, when he looked at JJ and Kie he felt guilty. He didn't think they understood, and he didn’t want to leave with them resenting him for it.

Pope was saved from his thoughts by his phone beeping.

_Received: 11:42 AM_

_Kie: Want to go surfing? It’d be a good time to talk to JJ. He’s always happiest on the water lol. Maybe if we put him in a good mood, he’ll actually accept our help?_

_Sent: 11:43 AM_

_Pope: Good idea! We just need to wait for him to wake up haha_

_Received: 11:43_

_Kie: Of course he's still asleep. Text me when he wakes up and I’ll head over to pick you guys up_

Pope wandered back into his room. He was somewhat surprised to see JJ laying on his back and fully conscience. He had his phone out in front of him and jumped slightly when Pope opened the door.

JJ quickly clicked the lock screen on his phone and threw it down beside him. He had been trying to text Kie for almost ten minutes. The night before, JJ had been so caught up with the Heyward’s letting him stay over that he hadn’t texted her. JJ wasn't sure if he should say something about the kiss or say something but not mention the kiss or maybe he shouldn’t say anything at all. JJ couldn’t decide what to do. Nothing he was doing was wrong, but he had been so lost in his draft texts, that Pope’s entrance had thrown him off.

“What were you doing on your phone?” Pope asked suspiciously. JJ didn't answer and looked at his phone as if it held the answers. “Dude, were you watching porn? Please don’t do that in my room.”

“No, I wasn’t watching porn,” JJ said rolling his eyes.

Pope gave him a doubtful look, but he let the subject go. He fully entered the room and took a seat on the bed. He pulled out his own phone and shot off a quick text to Kie letting her know that they were both up and would be ready soon.

“So I was talking to Kie this morning,” Pope said, but before he could continue JJ’s head shot up. JJ’s eyes were wide for a moment before he could remind himself to cover his shock. Pope and JJ just stared at each other. Both teens fully aware of the elephant in the room, but unfortunately, they were both thinking of different elephants.

“What did Kie say?” JJ asked.

“I mean we talked about what happened last night and she’s worried, dude,” Pope said.

“She’s worried and she talked to _you_ about it?” JJ asked confused. They hadn’t talked about the kiss last night, but he didn’t think Kie would go to Pope before talking to him about it. The kiss must have freaked her out more than he realized.

“You can’t be that shocked that we talked about it,” Pope said giving JJ a confused look. Pope had predicted that JJ would be standoffish when talking about his home life, but JJ had to know that Pope and Kie would insist on helping. “With the history and with what happened last year?”

“Yes, I’m surprised,” JJ said standing up and pacing in front of Pope. “Why the fuck would she talk about it with you and not me first?”

“Well, we had plans to talk about it with you together,” Pope said. “Kie’s actually on our way to pick us up now. We were thinking we could all go surfing and talk.”

“Together?” JJ said shaking his head. “Why do all three of us need to have this conversation?”

“Because, after last night, it concerns all of us,” Pope said.

“Are you two dating or something? Macking now that you’re both over at the Kook Academy and only half Pogues,” JJ said angrily. He had tried to tell himself that it was just a kiss, and he wasn’t going to hope for anything more, but that had clearly failed. Now, to find out that not only was she not available, but that she had been secretly dating his best friend. It was crushing.

“Dating? Bro, what are you talking about?” Pope asked watching JJ become more and more flustered in front of him.

“I’m talking about you and Kie. And me and Kie. And last night,” JJ said.

“Me and Kie?” Pope said. “That hasn’t been a thing in forever. I don’t even see her like that anymore.”

“You don’t?” JJ asked trying not to sound too eager. “Then why the fuck are you involved in this conversation?”

“I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing,” Pope said slowly. “Kie and I talked about you coming to live with one of us again. Last night we saw you trying to sleep on the _Pogue,_ remember?”

“Oh…ooooh,” JJ said. He coughed, “Right, that’s what I was talking about too. Good old homelessness, nothing new.”

“Like hell, you were,” Pope said. Kie had had casual flings, but she hadn’t had a serious relationship since Pope's ill-timed declaration of love or their shared kiss. Pope was pleasantly surprised to find out that he wasn’t all that bothered by her kissing someone, even JJ.

JJ was silent and finally Pope let out a laugh, “You can either tell me what happened or I’ll wait for Kie to get here, and we can all talk about it together.”

JJ glared at Pope, “Look man it just happened. We kissed. It wasn’t a big deal…or maybe it was…I don’t know because we haven't talked about it.”

“Where was I?” Pope asked genuinely confused that he didn’t see this coming. JJ and Kie had always been flirty, but he assumed it was just an element of their relationship. They had been that way for years.

“Asleep,” JJ said. “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to step on your toes or anything like that. It just kinda happened.”

“Kie doesn’t belong to me,” Pope said with a shrug. “I had feelings for her, but if we’re honest we all kinda did at some point. I was over her a long time ago. Just no making out and shit in front of me. I don’t want to see that with anyone.”

“You seriously don’t care?” JJ asked.

“I seriously don’t care,” Pope said. He stood and started pulling out his board shorts to change into. He moved to leave the room to allow JJ to finish getting ready. “But for what it’s worth if you guys kissed, I don’t think it ‘just happened.’ In my experience, if you’re willing to risk a friendship, there’s got to be a lot of feelings behind a kiss.”

Pope didn’t wait for JJ to respond, but as he left the room, both Pogues were smiling to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not mean for this to be its own chapter. It just kinda got away from me. There will be more plot in the next one promise!


	4. Chapter 4

Kie rolled up to Pope’s house with her windows down and the music blasting. The temperature was high and the humidity was nearly unbearable. Even in just cut-offs and a bikini top, Kie felt like she was overheating. She could already feel the sweat dripping down the back of her neck and she knew it would only get worse. Nearly all Kie could focus on was getting to the beach and into the water.

Kie had barely put the car in park before Pope and JJ came running out from behind the house with their surfboards in hand. Both boys were in trunks and partially buttoned-up shirts. JJ had a backward baseball cap haphazardly placed on his head.

“Did you guys really have to sleep nearly half the day away?” Kie yelled loudly out the window. “I’ve just been boiling at home waiting.”

“That’s on this guy,” Pope said nodding his head towards JJ.

JJ just smiled and shrugged. When they reached the car, the two boys carefully placed their boards on top of Kie’s in the hatchback, where two of the three seats were folded down. Pope finished first and went to the passenger seat. JJ finished just a moment later and ran to catch up to Pope.

“You didn’t call shotgun,” JJ said.

The boys looked at each other and at the same time, both issued a shotgun claim. After a pause, Pope reached for the door handle. But JJ grabbed his arm. Pope tried to shrug him off and pulled the door open. With a firm grip still on Pope, JJ slid his body between the door and seat, but Pope grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back. JJ reached around and pushed JJ. They ended up tumbling on the floor.

“It’s mine,” Pope said.

“No way, I opened the door,” JJ said laughing.

“Will you two stop being ridiculous and just get in the car,” Kie said still sitting in the driver's seat waiting to move.

“Not until he relents,” Pope said as he got up off the driveway and go for the door.

“Fat chance of that,” JJ said pushing Pope back and getting himself closer to the seat. Unfortunately, he couldn’t pull Pope back in time. Pope had fully sat down. JJ pulled at his arm, but it was too late. He’d already taken his claim and he wasn’t going to be moving.

“Nice try, JJ, but it’s going to be the back for you,” Pope said with a happy smirk.

“I’ll get you next time,” JJ said.

“You can try,” Pope said. JJ grumbled as he made his way to the back seat crammed with their boards.

“Finally,” Kie complained. She shifted into drive and pulled back onto the road. “Why don’t you guys just take shifts instead of fighting it out like that half the time.”

Their seating arrangements had never been a problem before when they had the Pogue mobile. Back then the Pogues almost preferred the lazy freedom of rolling around the boot of the van. They had roles that they played based on where they sat. John B almost always drove and he liked to fill that position of silent guide on their daily adventures. JJ preferred to be in the back, so he could sprawl out across the bench seat often taking a hit of a joint. If Kie joined him in the back, she'd also accompany the high as well. Both of them smiling lazily and giggling about nothing. If Kie wanted to be upfront, Pope would be in the back and answer all of JJ's random questions and follow him down the strangest rabbit holes of conversation. Kie liked to talk to John B about environmental protection because he was the only one who didn't just listen but also seemed genuinely concerned. When it was just John B and another person, they'd sit quietly upfront nodding along to music and talking about other locals.

“This is more fun,” JJ said good-naturedly punching Pope in the arm. Kie rolled her eyes but Pope laughed along, but quickly the car turned silent and the silence quickly turned tense.

With multiple issues that needed to be addressed, no one in the car knew where to start. Even JJ couldn’t think of something to lighten the mood. Kie was just considering finally ripping the band-aid off when Pope finally spoke up.

“What’s going on with your phone?” he asked pointing to Kie's phone, which was vibrating in the cupholder.

“It’s so annoying,” Kie said. “Someone keeps trying to request me on Instagram. After I rejected it and they requested again, I just left it on read. But now they are just deleting the request and starting over again.”

“Someone’s putting that much work into seeing pictures of you?” Pope said. “You’ve got a stalker.”

“Let’s see who this guy is,” JJ said as he picked up the phone and typed in the passcode. He had known Kie’s passcode for years.

“Hey,” Kie said. “You could ask.”

“I could but why would I?” JJ said giving her a big grin. “Weird, the profile picture is a beach. That’s not something creepy stalker dudes would usually use.”

“How do you know that?” Pope asked.

Instead of answering JJ continued his snooping, “Did you even go to this guys profile? He doesn’t have any pictures or followers. And what is up with this username? Some numbers the wave emoji, the wheat emoji, and the compass emoji.”

“A wave and a campus emoji?” Pope asked.

“JJ just let it go,” Kie said.

“And wheat?” Pope mumbled.

“No, we’re at least going to block this, dude,” JJ said. Kie nodded along in affirmation.

“Wait,” Pope said. “A wave, a compass, and wheat.”

“Yeah, I literally just said that,” JJ said making a ‘duh’ face at Kie causing her to laugh.

Without saying anything Pope opened up his phone and went to the Instagram app. Pope didn't have notifications set up for the app and he rarely used it. The app's image pulled up, but it felt like it was taking forever to load. 

“I’m just going to block this stalker,” JJ said.

“No!” Pope said. “Just wait. Just one second. Yes!”

Pope opened the app to see a new follower request sitting in his inbox. After making sure it was from the same account, Pope threw his phone in front of JJ’s face. Before JJ could even process what Pope was showing him, Pope moved it in front of Kie.

“I’m driving, Pope,” Kie said.

“It’s them!” Pope said. “It has to be. JJ do you have your notifications on Instagram?"

"No I don't think so," JJ said.

"Open it, now."

“Why?” JJ said, but he followed orders pulling out his phone slowly. He opened it to see a new follow request. It was the same account. “Look I have it, too. Looks like your stalker wants a piece of this, too.”

JJ drew his hand down his stomach and stuck his tongue out. Kie shook her head. Pope was too engrossed in his phone to even notice.

“But what do the numbers mean,” Pope said. “Three, four, one, eight, two, zero, one, six. Hmm. Three, four, one, eight, two, zero, one, six. What do they mean? Three, four, one, eight, two, zero, one, six. Damn it, it’s gotta be something. It has to be them.”

“What are you talking about? You’re starting to freak me out,” Kie said looking over at Pope with concern.

“Three, four, one, eight, two, zero, one, six,” Pope said. “What do those numbers mean?”

“The first four are the  _ Pogue’s  _ registration numbers,” JJ said.

“Are you sure?” Pope asked.

“Yeah, John B and I had to scrounge up $50 bucks to pay it every year. I’m positive,” JJ said.

“What year did you guys get her?” Pope asked.

“Umm it was right before high school,” JJ said. He scrunched up his face trying to figure it out.

“2016?” Pope asked.

“Yeah, that’d be it I guess,” JJ said.

“Three, four, one, eight, two, zero, one, six,” Pope yelled happily. “They’re alive! John B and Sarah are alive.”

* * *

John B sat across from Sarah. They had both been on their phone for nearly an hour trying to get Kie, Pope, or JJ to respond, and so far they hadn’t had any luck.

“Maybe we should give it a break?” Sarah suggested. “We both have the day off. Maybe go for a walk or grab lunch?"

“No, we should keep at it,” John B said. “They have to notice it eventually.”

“Kie’s already noticed,” Sarah said. “If we push too hard, she might block us.”

“Then we’ll just create another account,” John B said. “Maybe we should have made the name more obvious.”

Sarah shook her head, “If it was much more obvious someone might notice. All it takes is one wrong person searching their friend list or looking over their shoulder at a bad time. And I’m sure my father has people looking for me.”

“You’re right,” John B said. He got up and started pacing. “I just don’t understand why they haven’t responded.”

“I don’t either but resending the requests and looking over our phones all day isn’t going to help,” Sarah said. “We need to take a break and get some fresh air.”

John B sighed deeply. He knew Sarah was right, and this is why he loved her. She always kept him grounded, which he had desperately needed over the past year. Without his father or his friends, she was all he had. And she had been supportive of every one of his moves. 

They had talked about leaving the Bahamas and just taking off. Sarah had preferred that option, but John B had convinced her that it made more sense to stay. Part of his argument had been for vengeance against Ward Cameron and part of it had been out of necessity. They were surviving off the grid, but if they got the $400 million from the gold, they'd also get a fair shot at a normal life again. 

John B wanted a normal life, but he was more fueled by vengeance. They both knew it. He occasionally read the home newspapers and he knew that no justice had been dulled out for his father’s murder. Ward was walking around after killing or covering up the deaths of five people. And John B would rather die than see that man get the $400 million after all that. He knew it had become an obsession, but it wasn’t about himself it was about his father and Sheriff Peterkin. Sarah had understood that in the beginning, but they both knew that the longer this all went on the less she was willing to make her life revolve around it.

“John B, did you hear me?” Sarah asked. John B looked up at her and shook his head. “I said that I’m going on a walk. Do you want to come with me?”

John looked down at his phone, “I do, but Sarah I can’t just leave it now.”

“Fine,” Sarah said. “I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“Okay,” John B said then after a moment of hesitation he stood up and kissed her. “I love you. Text me if you need anything.”

“Sure, will do. Let me know if they respond,” Sarah said and picked up her purse walking out the door.

* * *

“It could be a trap,” Kie said as she looked down at the same Instagram profile that she had been looking at for almost an hour.

The three Pogues were sitting on the beach. Their surfboards were long forgotten still sitting in the back of Kie’s car. They had been going in circles around the Instagram account. Pope was convinced that it was John B and Sarah trying to contact them. Kie was more skeptical. She wanted to believe that the cryptic Instagram account was their friends, but she had so many unanswered questions and she couldn’t let them go.

“A trap for what?” JJ asked. He had been uncharacteristically quiet since Pope’s revelation. He had listened to both Pope and Kie, and he honestly didn’t know what to believe. He honestly didn’t have much faith that they were alive, but he was willing to try anything if it meant it might bring John B back to them. “We don’t have anything to offer.”

“Maybe Ward thinks they’re alive and we know where they are and he’s trying to get us to tell him,” Kie said.

“But we don’t know if they’re alive,” Pope said. “Even if it is Ward, we can’t lead him to anyone.”

“Fine, but we’re loose ends Ward or Rafe could want to finally get rid of us and end this for himself forever,” Kie said.

“But why would he do that now? He’s had so much time,” Pope said.

“I don’t know all the charges have finally been dropped and the police are finally off his back. Maybe he was waiting until no one was watching. Why would John B and Sarah all of a sudden reach out? None of this makes any sense,” Kie said. “They sailed into a fucking tropical storm.”

“I thought you said you thought they were alive,” JJ said in a low voice.

Kie was silent for a moment, “I do think they’re alive…or maybe I just wanted them to be alive so badly that I made it all up in my head. I don’t even know, but this puts us at risk. I’m not saying that we don’t do it. I just seriously want us to think this through. This could be really dangerous.”

“He would do it for us,” JJ said. He knew he was guilt-tripping Kie and JJ tried not to let the guilt of that wash over him.

“How sure are you that it’s him?” Kie asked Pope.

“I’m not positive, but how many people would seriously know the registration number and the purchase year of the  _ Pogue _ . Plus, the compass emoji and wheat. Only someone who had seen the gold would know about the wheat. And only someone who knew the importance of the compass to John B would know to put that.”

“Ward knows all those things, dude,” JJ said.

“But do you really think he’d be that cryptic?” Pope said. “I think if he was trying to draw us out he’d try to make it more obviously John B and Sarah. Assuming that he would even use them to try to do something to us, which I think is a jump.”

The group was silent. All of them looking at their given phones, even though nothing had changed since they first received the friend request. Just as Kie’s had done in the beginning. The request would stay for a few minutes and then delete and then pop up again a few seconds later.

“I think we should respond,” JJ said. “Even if there’s a slim chance that they’re alive. We gotta take it. I can’t not know.”

“I agree,” Pope said. “But we should be on the same page. Kie, what do you think?”

Kie sighed, “Okay, if you two both think we should, then I agree. Let’s get our friends back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was mostly filler, which needed to happen. And it's not very well edited because, honestly, I was tired. The next chapter is done though and it'll be lots more plot and JJ/Kie cuteness! Also, I fully recognize I'm being a bit loose with how Instagram works, but hey it's fiction!


	5. Chapter 5

“Anything new?” Sarah asked as she walked in.

“No, still nothing,” John B said sighing and setting down the phone.

“I’m sorry, John B. I really thought this would work,” Sarah said sitting down next to him.

“It’s not your fault,” John B said. “We’ll just have to come up with something else”

They both looked down at the phone and suddenly a notification appeared.

_ Kietoyourheart has accepted your friend request _

“Oh my god,” Sarah said. “They accepted!”

“Yes!” John B said standing up and doing a fist pump. In his excitement, he went over to Sarah and wrapped his arms around her spinning her around. They both started laughing and John B let his head fall to her neck. Still laughing he mumbled, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Sarah had a huge grin on her face when John B finally set her down, “What are you thanking me for?”

“It was your idea,” John B said. “And without you…I know I haven’t been all that great lately, but without you, I don’t know how I would’ve survived the last year. I love you, Sarah.”

Sarah felt her eyes tearing up, but she blinked the tears away. This was the first time John B had acknowledged their issues. It was also the first time that he had said he loved her in a long time. She was overwhelmed by emotions. She was happy he seemed like the old John B, but she was also mad that it took contact with his friends to get him to act like that again. Sarah wanted to talk more about it, but she knew it wasn’t the right time. They needed to respond to Kie and focus on getting the rest of the Pogues to the Bahamas to get the gold back.

“How should we respond?” Sarah asked instead of addressing John B’s declaration.

John B paused for a moment, thrown off by the fact that she ignored his comments on their relationship. He felt a pang in his chest, but brushed it off and tried not to let it bother him. They could talk about their relationship later. Right now, they needed to focus on talking to their friends.

“I guess we just say it’s us,” John B said. “The messages are private so no one will know.”

“It still feels weird to just reveal ourselves,” Sarah said.

“Yeah, I know,” John B said. He thought for a moment before coming up with a good compromise. He typed it out before handing the phone over to Sarah. “What about this?”

“Val and Vlad, checking in,” Sarah read out loud. “It still feels so direct, but I guess there’s no other way to do it.”

With Sarah looking over his shoulder, John B took a deep breath and then hit send. The message appeared as read almost instantly. They could see that someone was typing a response, but then the typing indicator went away. It happened a few times until finally, a message popped up.

_ Received 2:32 PM _

_ Kietoyourheart: Prove it. We want a picture with something from today’s date. _

“Today’s date?” John said. “They’re being cautious. That’s good.”

“Yeah, but do we have anything with the date?” Sarah asked.

“What about a newspaper?” John B said pulling out her phone and navigating to the _New York Times_ homepage. “Their websites have the papers we can use one of those.”

“Perfect!” Sarah said. She took her own phone out and scooted in close to John B quickly taking a selfie of both of them. She texted the photo over to John B and he quickly shared it back to their friends.

It was a long time before they got a reply, but when it finally came through it brought a huge grin to both Sarah and John B’s face. Their friends had simply sent a picture in return. Kie, JJ, and Pope were squeezed in tight. Each of their friends had a huge grin on their face. Kie was in the center and clearly holding the phone. She had her face pressed up unnecessarily close to the camera. JJ was resting his head on her shoulder and had his mouth partially open. He was looking towards Kie and Pope as if he was still talking when Kie snapped the photo. Pope was on Kie’s other side and had his hand up waving at the phone. A bit of the background could be seen and John B immediately recognized it as their favorite surfing spot in the Outer Banks. John B could practically smell the ocean and hear his friends laughter. This is the closest he had felt to them in almost a year. As soon as he saw their picture, he knew that Sarah had been right and they should have reached out sooner. John B grabbed the phone and started typing out a response. They traded back and forth a few times with John B typing out how they survived and the group updating John B and Sarah about what they've been up to the past year. Finally, after everyone’s questions had been answered. John B looked at Sarah and she nodded her head. They both knew they had to get to the matter at hand.

_ Sent 3:20 PM _

_ 34182016: We need your help. _

* * *

“We’re pretty confident the gold hasn’t been moved, but something has changed. Ward is coming and if he leaves with the gold we’ll lose it forever. We have three weeks to come up with a plan and get the gold out before Ward gets here. We can’t figure it out on our own, which is where you guys come in,” Kie said reading out loud what John B had messaged them. “We need you to get down here.”

“How are we supposed to get to the Bahamas?” Pope asked.

“Being able to fly would really come in handy right about now,” JJ said. He was laying back on the sand and throwing a tennis ball up and down. 

Pope rolled his eyes, “Be serious.”

“I don’t know, man,” JJ said still keeping his eyes on the ball. “But we’ll figure it out. We gotta go.”

“I agree,” Kie said. “John B needs us.”

“I know, but we have to think about this,” Pope said. “This is a whole lot bigger than a treasure hunt in the Outer Banks. We’d be leaving the country, which we don’t have money to do. JJ do you even have a passport? Because I don’t.”

“We’ll figure it out,” JJ said. “Kie, tell John B we’re in.”

"Would you knock it off?" Pope standing to grab the ball from JJ. “You can’t just agree to this."

“It’s the chance at $400 million, dude,” JJ said snatching his ball back. “Plus, getting John B back.”

“I get that, but how are we supposed to get to the Bahamas. And even if we do get there. Ward is a millionaire, who has somehow kept the gold out of John B and Sarah’s reach for a year. What will we be able to do that they can’t?” Pope asked. During his speech, he had started pacing in front of Kie and JJ. “We’re taking a huge risk and I don’t think we’ll be successful. I...I have school and curfew. This wasn’t supposed to keep happening.”

“Guys,” Kie said. She had been typing on her phone through JJ and Pope’s argument. She was relaying most of their conversation to John B and had just received a response. Unfortunately, both boys ignored her.

“Seriously?” JJ asked lightly throwing the ball at Pope. Pope stopped his pacing and reflexively caught the ball. “You’re not going to help us because of a curfew.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Pope said looking down at the dirty neon ball in his hand and feeling slightly guilty.

“Then what did you mean? You were the one that wanted to respond. What did you think was going to happen?” JJ asked.

“Guys,” Kie tried again.

“I thought they’d tell us they were alive and that’s it. Maybe we could've finally just had some closure,” Pope said. “And, honestly, that’s exactly what they should be doing! Going after the treasure is stupid. It’s going to get us all killed and it's not worth the risk.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” JJ grumbled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Pope asked. He took a

step towards JJ. In response, JJ aggressively stood from his place on the beach. He looked Pope up and down and scoffed.

“I think you know what it means, college boy,” JJ said with his lips pursed.

Kie finally stood as well. She quickly pocketed her phone

as she moved between the two boys, both of whom looked as if they were about to throw a punch.

“Let’s all calm down,” Kie said. She placed her hands on  JJ’s chest and tried to push him away. When he didn’t budge, Kie moved one of her hands up to his face forcing him to look down. He resisted at first, but eventually, he met her disapproving eyes.

“Fine,” JJ said taking a step back and flopping back on the sand as if nothing had happened. Pope didn’t say anything, but he sat down as well.

“We’re all on the same side,” Kie said. “Now, I messaged John B while you two were having your little argument. He said that he and Sarah can send us the money for traveling expenses. I guess they still have some of the cash they got from selling the bit of gold they had.”

“What about passports?” Pope asked. “We can’t exactly fly to the Bahamas without passports and it’d take longer than three weeks to get them.”

“He didn’t say," Kie said frowning. They all fell silent for a moment, until Kie perked up, "What if we got there the same way they did?"

“Through a deadly storm?” JJ asked lifting an eyebrow.

“No,” Kie said pushing his shoulder lightly and laughing. “By boat.”

“All the way to the Bahamas,” Pope said. “That’d take days.”

"Quicker than getting a passport," JJ said shrugging.

“How many days exactly?” Kie asked ignoring JJ's comment.

“I don’t know, but I’d assume at least 4,” Pope said doing some quick calculations in his head. “That’s also assuming we survive. What if we run into a storm? This isn’t like putting around the marsh.”

“Why are you being such a pussy?” JJ asked.

“Hey,” Kie said slapping JJ on the arm.

“Sorry, Kie,” JJ said. She was always correcting him when  he used offensive insults. Usually, he was pretty good about it, but Pope was really starting to get under his skin. “Why are you freaking out, Pope?”

“I’m not freaking out,” Pope said. “You’re just not thinking this all the way through. And you know what, yeah, I have a lot to lose. Is  that really so wrong?”

“Of course not,” Kie said. She placed a hand on Pope's arm and gave him an understanding smile before turning to glare at JJ. When JJ didn't say anything, Kie lightly kicked him in the shin.

“No, man,” JJ said. “It’s good that you have school and your family. You know we’re happy for you. But this is our chance.”

Pope let out a deep sigh. The group of Pogues sat there in silence for a few moments unsure of what to do next. It was Pope who finally broke the silence. Turning to Kie, he said, “Ask John B and Sarah if we'll have enough time to get the gold out if we get there in four or five days.”

Kie bit her lip to hide her smile as she started typing.

“And ask if they have any idea how we’re going to get our hands on a boat,” JJ said grinning from ear to ear.

* * *

JJ and Kie were sitting in her car, which was parked in front of her parents’ house. It was dark out and the neighborhood was quiet.

The pair had been sitting silently for a while neither teen entirely sure what to say. They had so much to discuss and, at the same time, everything in their life seemed to be moving so fast, just like last year.

They had dropped off Pope earlier in the night. After much discussion, they decided to drive out of the Outer Banks to buy a boat a little further south where they wouldn’t be recognized or raise as much suspicion. They’d then set sail for the Bahamas and, hopefully, reach it within a few days. The issue was telling their parents.

For Pope and Kie at least there was no easy way around it. They decided that they’d leave in the middle of the night. Pope planned on leaving a note saying he’d be back by the end of summer. Kie hadn’t decided what she was going to do yet. She supposed she’d also have to leave a note, but she hadn’t figured out exactly what to write yet.

“I’m sorry you have to do this,” JJ said quietly.

“You have no reason to be sorry,” Kie said. “You didn't talk me into this. I want to go, too.”

“I know, but it still sucks having to leave your family like this,” JJ said.

“They’ll forgive me,” Kie said. “But, yeah, it really  sucks. I don’t know what I’m going to say.”

JJ didn’t have any words of advice so he stayed silent.

“Are you going to stay in the car?” Kie asked.

“Yeah, maybe try to get a nap in,” JJ said stretching his  arms out. “A man needs his beauty sleep.”

Kie laughed in spite of herself, “I've been meaning to talk to you about this. You could really use it. You're starting to look a bit ragged around the eyes.”

JJ put a hand to his chest and fake gasped, “Wow, I see  how you really feel." 

Kie rolled her eyes and laughed. JJ continued, “Don’t worry, I know you love my face.”

“Oh, do I now?” Kie asked leaning towards him. JJ responded involuntarily by moving closer to her. Kie was half leaning on the glove compartment and JJ had his body fully facing her. It’d just take one of them to move a few inches and the tiny space between them would be eliminated.

Noticing the lack of distance, JJ clenched his teeth and felt his jaw working. “Kie,” he whispered. 

“Yeah?” Kie asked, but she didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she  closed the space between them kissing JJ. Unlike their other intimate moments, neither one of them hesitated this time. Kie had one hand wrapped in JJ's hair and the other on the glove compartment pushing herself closer to him. JJ put his hand on her waist helping to pull her closer.

Kie felt JJ push his tongue against her closed lips and she happily opened them up to him. His hand on her waist kept clenching and  unclenching as if he wasn’t sure if he should let go or pull her closer still. Kie wasn’t sure which she would prefer. She tried not to overthink it as she moved her hand down his chest, which was bare under his unbuttoned shirt. Kie wanted to climb into his lap and keep kissing him and not stop, but she knew that would only  make a complicated situation even more complex. JJ’s hand started moving strangely and after a while, she realized he was tapping his fingers wildly on her waist. It certainly wasn’t sexual and if anything seemed more like a nervous tic. Kie tried to ignore it until she finally pulled away laughing.

“What are you doing?” Kie asked smiling and giving him a questioning look.

“Uh, kinda thought we were making out,” JJ said slowly. His hand  was still on her waist, but the strange tapping had stopped.

Kie laughed again, “I know that. I meant, what were you  doing with your hand?”

JJ looked down at his hand as if it had betrayed him, “Should I not have put it on your waist? Shit, I’m sorry, Kie. I didn’t even think about it. I’ll ask next time.”

“That’s not—wait, next time,” Kie said. “You want there to be a next time?”

“Yeah, dude, of course,” JJ said. “I’ve been into you forever. Now that we've started macking, I don't want to stop. Have you seen you You’re so hot and you’re a badass.”

Kie was slightly shocked by his unromantic, but still extremely genuine and heartfelt declaration. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Kie asked.

“I don’t know,” JJ shrugged. “I didn’t think I stood I chance. Again, have you seen you?”

“Whenever you flirted, I just thought you were fucking around with me,” Kie said shrugging.

“I kinda was but that doesn’t mean that everything I said wasn’t also true,” JJ said.

“I like you, too,” Kie said in a quiet voice.

JJ broke out into a wide grin. He had dreamed of Kie saying those words but never had he expected to actually hear them coming out  of her mouth.

“Because I’m so hot and badass, too?” JJ asked will a smirk.

“Shut up,” Kie said pushing his shoulder lightly and  using it as an excuse to get closer and lean into him.

JJ was lowering his head closer to hers, when he paused, “Kie, can I kiss you?”

“Of course,” Kie said biting her lip lightly.

JJ leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and sweet but quickly turned into something deeper. When they broke apart gasping, JJ didn't let Kie rest for long. Instead, he moved away from her mouth and started a trail kissing down her neck. He bit and sucked lightly as he went, instantly turned on by the idea of her having a hickey the next day. Kie had her hands in JJ's hair and was pulling him closer. He pulled back slightly and whispered into her neck.

“Can I put my hand on your waist?” JJ asked in a voice that was huskier than Kie was used to hearing from him.

“Y-yeah,” Kie stuttered out slightly breathless.

JJ moved his hand to her waist and pulled her slightly closer. She was now leaning against the glove compartment and he was  practically on top of it. JJ hated making out in cars, and he desperately missed the old van. Though, he realized it was probably better that they didn’t have easy access to a horizontal space. Kie and JJ were off to a good start, and the last thing JJ wanted to do was ruin it by moving to fast. Even if that’s all he could think about.

“You gotta get going,” JJ said. He pulled away just enough so that their lips were no longer connected, but so he could rest his forehead against hers. They were still breathing the same hot air and JJ was sure the car windows were fogged.

“You’ll be here waiting?” Kie asked trying to refocus on their mission to get to the Bahamas. She needed to get inside, pack, and write her parent’s note. The last thing she needed was her parents being suspicious because she was still sitting in a car with JJ.

“Yeah,” JJ said kissing her lightly on the lips. “Be careful, okay.”

JJ wasn’t entirely sure why he had said that. She was just going inside her own house. Sure, she had to climb out the window, but he’d

seen her do it dozens of times. All of a sudden, he felt a little guilty for making fun of John B for all the cheesy stuff girls had said to him over the years. Shaking his head slightly, JJ pecked Kie lightly on the lips and gave her a reassuring smile.

Kie nodded her head and opened the car door. Without looking back at JJ, she headed up her driveway and into her house Her mind already fully focused on the next adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super long delay for some reason this chapter was super hard to write! As I go along, I also want to apologize for all the grammar errors. I am not proofing this as well as I should.


End file.
